Light for gun-sights.



mammal! w. A. IDE. LIGHT FOR GUN SIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1910. RENEWED APR. 12, 1912. 1,044,658, Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. IDE, OF CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON.

LIGHT FOR GUN-SIGHTS.

Application filed January 15, 1910, Serial No. 538,251.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, TVIL'LIAM A. Inn, a citizen of the United States, residin' at Centralia, in the county of Lewis and tate of lVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lights for Gun-Sights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire arms and more particularly to means for illuminating the front and rear sights thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a gun or rifle having incandescent lamps disposedat the front and rear sights thereof and connected in circuit with a battery including a switch or push button so that when said push button is operated, the light from said lamps will be directed on the sights of said gun, thus to facilitate ac curate aim of a marksman when hunting at night.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices, so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may he resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to ac quire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun provided with my improved attachment; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the supporting plate detached, with the key-stone head in position to enter the socket in said plate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device forming the subject matter of the present invention may be used in connection with guns, rifles and similar firearms, and by way of illustration is shown applied to a magazine rifle of the ordinary construction in which 5 designates the stock, 6 the barrel, 7 the magazine, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

Renewed April 12, 1912. Serial No. 690,274.

8 and 9 the front and rear sights, respectively.

Secured to the main stock 5, is an auxiliary stock 10 having an interior compartment for the reception of one or more batteries 11, said auxiliary stock being detachably secured to the main stock by screws or similar fastening devices 12 passing through cars 13 formed on said auxiliary stock, as shown.

Disposed at the rear of the sight 9 and seated in a recess 14, is a plate 15 having a key-stone shaped socket 16 formed therein and provided with laterally extending perforated ears 17 adapted to bear against the longitudinal edge of the gun at the recess 14 to permit the passage of screws or similar fastening devices 18, which latter serve to retain the plate 15 within said recess. The plate 15 is preferably formed of guttapercha, porcelain, or similar insulating material and is provided with oppositely disposed contacts 19 extending through the opposite vertical edges of the plate to the inner walls of the socket 16. Seated in the socket 16 is a correspondingly shaped head 20 having a tubular supporting member 21 extending vertically therefrom with its lower end offset at 22 so as to permit the upper end thereof to clear the barrel 6.

Secured to the upper end of the tube 21 is a reflector 23 in which is supported an incandescent lamp 24, the latter being connected to the head 20 by spaced conductors 25. The conductors 25 are connected with oppositely disposed contact members 26 carried by the head 20, so that when said head is positioned within the socket 16 the contact members 26 will engage the contacts 19 and thus close the circuit through the lamp 24. Extending longitudinally of the gun is a tubular casing preferably formed in two sections 27 and 28, one of which extends from one side of the plate 15 to a point adjacent the front end of the barrel 6, while the other section 28 extends along the side of the gun look, as shown. Secured in any suitable manner to the front end forwardly to the rear of the plate 15 for attachment to one terminal of the lamp 24:, the other conductor being connected with the mating terminal of the lamp 29 and thence extended through the conductor 27 to the adjacent contact 19 on the plate 15 and thence extended through the casing section 28 to one contact of a push button 32, the other contact of the push button being connected through the medium of a short conductor 33 with the other terminal of the battery 11. The head 20 is also preferably formed of gutta-percha, porcelain, or other insulating material and is retained in position within the socket 16 by means of a clamping screw Thus it will be seen that when the push button 32 is operated, the circuit will be completed from the battery through the incandescent lamps 24: and 29 so that the light from said lamps will be Cilrected 011 the adjacent sights 8 and 9 and thus facilitate accurate aim of a marksman when shooting at night. hen the finger is removed from the push button 32, the circuit will be broken and the light extinguished.

Attention is here called to the fact that by forming the plate 15 with a key stone shaped socket for engagement with a correspondingly shaped head, the reflector 23 is rigidly secured in proper position to direct the light on the rear sight 9. It will also be noted that by releasing the clamping screw 34 and exerting a lateral pressure on the tube 21, the head 20, together with the reflector and lamp 24:, may be detached from the gun for the purpose of effecting any necessary repairs thereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a gun having front and rear sights, of a plate secured to the gun and provided with a socket, a head seated in said socket and provided with a supporting member, an incandescent lamp carried by the supporting member and disposed at the rear sight, an incandescent lamp arranged near the front sight, and an electrical circuit connected with the lamps and including a battery.

2. The combination with a gun having front and rear sights, of a plate secured to the gun and provided with a key stone shaped socket, a correspondingly shaped head seated in said socket and provided with a supporting member, an incandescent lamp carried by the supporting member and disposed at the rear sight, conductors carried by the plate and head respectively,

and an electrical circuit operatively connected with the contacts on the plate.

3. The combination with a gun having front and rear sights, of a plate secured to the gun and provided with a socket and having oppositely disposed contacts, conductors connected with the opposite vertical edges of the plate, a correspondingly shaped head seated in the socket and provided with a tubular supporting member,

an incandescent lamp carried by the tubular member, contacts secured to the head and adapted to engage the contacts on the plate, conductors connecting the lamp with the head and housed within the tubular member, I

a lamp disposed at the forward sight, a

tery respectively, conductors extending from the battery to said plate, and a push button connecting the conductors for closing the circuit, thereby to light the lamps.

4. The combination with a gun having front and rear sights, of a head seated in a recess in the fore-stock of the gun and provided with a supporting member, an energized circuit, an incandescent lamp carried by the supporting member and disposed at the rear sight, and a second incandescent lamp disposed at the front sight and arranged in a plane below said front sight, said incandescent lamps being connected in the circuit.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM A. IDE. Witnesses:

JOHN M. HUGHES, J. G. BLAIR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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